Reeltruth- I believe we agreed to disagree and leave it at that. You have again made a personal attack on me...I believe that totals eight personal attacks and zero cogent arguments over the course of our discourse. Game, Set, Match. I not only pay for more than my share at events I routinely pick up the tab for all and usually seek out people to accompany me on my outings for the company. I am a firm believer that money was created to be spent.

Backlash-
I don't know how old you are but you sure are bitter and I would hate to see you go through life being envious and bitter. It's too short from what I've been told.
Regarding the principles of commerce, goods and services are driving factors in a capitalist system. They are not THE driving factors however. The driving factors are supply and demand. Goods, services, property, and money. You presumably provide a good days work and in return you demand a good days wage. The part you failed to learn is that IRA's are usually balanced investment portfolios involving stocks and bonds.(money) There is great demand for money and supplying it enables you to demand a fair return. Stocks are partial ownership of a particular company. Perhaps your employer. Venture capital also plays a role here as new and different companies are forming everyday. The money these companies use is mine and yours and when those companies prosper so do we. I don't expect any of us will ever be employed by a poor person. I would bet that the guy you work for has it better than you do. It's a good thing too, otherwise you would be in a soup line between welfare checks. Yes sirree, thanks to those godawful fat rich guys we are able to have jobs. I guess you guys are right, we really should tax the living crap out of them. That way they will have to sell the house in Maui or you won't get that raise you wanted. All that dem loving union pension money, where is that?? Oh that's right, invested in fat cat republican big business. Better tax that big business a little more or you union guys will get too much pension money back and screw up the whole system by becoming rich.

I will never understand why I can't completely opt out of the social security system and invest the money on my own. If I starve at 65 then let me. But your guy algore doesn't even trust me with 2% of that money (MY MONEY) Perhaps it is because by having that money they acquire de-facto power. No that couldn't be it, I just don't know enough about spending it correctly. The personal responsibility SSI system seems to be working OK in Chile.

I also find it amazing that Backlash can call a man running for President a "friggin idiot" and no one cries foul. Backlash, have you ever talked to the man??? Shook his hand? Looked him in the eye during a conversation? Reeltruth and Dan know where I'm going with this. On another thread I stated my opinion of Gore after doing all of those things and more and was called just about everything in the book for it. I can withstand the heat and the criticism but not the hypocrisy. He may not be the sharpest tack in the wall, but he is certainly at gores level. His debate skills need some work.

By the way.....when is someone from the left going to define EXACTLY what you mean when you say rich. How much money do you have to have to be rich and who decided it was that much. I might be rich but not know it. Come on, please tell me the meaning of rich. Is it 50k a year? 100k a year? Maybe it is net worth, one home?, two?, one home and a sled? Please educate me lefties! My life could be significantly better if I knew I was rich. Also, why do you care if someone else gets their own money back? Is it that envy thing? Or are you lefties just unable to see someone enjoy themselves?